Life expectancy in the US is declining for the second year in a row: in which states do people live longer

U.S. life expectancy estimates have fallen to their worst level since 1996, according to a new federal report. The fall in this level continues for the second year in a row after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. CBS.

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“The decline in life expectancy since 2019 is largely due to the pandemic,” says a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. “Deaths from COVID-19 accounted for nearly three-quarters, or 74%, of the decline from 2019 to 2020 and 50% of the decline from 2020 to 2021.”

More than a million Americans now have COVID-19 listed as the cause of death on death certificates, according to the latest data provided by the agency.

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"Unintentional injuries" was the second leading cause of downgrading, resulting in a 15,9% decline. The authors of the report write that "to a large extent they were caused by a drug overdose."

However, the impact of these causes varies widely among demographic groups.

COVID-19 was the main contributor to the decline in life expectancy among white Americans in 2021, resulting in a 54,1% decline last year, from 77,4 to 76,4 years.

COVID-19 was responsible for a 35% reduction in life expectancy for Black Americans and a 21,4% reduction in life expectancy for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

During the first year of the pandemic, the agency reported that Hispanics experienced the largest drop in life expectancy of any group, with 90% of the decline attributed to COVID-19.

During the second year of the pandemic, Hispanic life expectancy fell by only 0,2 years. “Unintentional injuries” outpaced COVID-19 as they led to lower life expectancy among Hispanics.

COVID-19 has not been the primary cause of declines in life expectancy among Asian Americans. Instead, cancer led to a 21,4% decline in rates last year.

Among all racial groups, Asian Americans saw the smallest decline in life expectancy last year, losing just 0,1 years in 2021 to 83,5 years. American Indians and Alaska Natives faced the largest decline of any racial group, losing 1,9 years to 65,2 years.

The figures reflect differences in COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic, which the agency reported earlier this year have changed significantly as vaccines and treatments are introduced across the country. As a result, some disparities in life expectancy narrowed last year compared to 2020.

The life expectancy advantage between white and black Americans has shrunk by 5,1% since 2020, with just 5,6 years separating the two groups.

In 1993, the life expectancy of black Americans was 7,1 years less than that of whites. By 2019, before the pandemic, this gap had narrowed to 4 years.

Other gaps have widened in the past year

The report shows that the difference in life expectancy between men and women increased from 5,7 to 5,9 years in 2021. In 2010, this gender gap narrowed to 4,8 years.

The estimates offer one of the first glimpses into the impact of the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic on US life expectancy.

More detailed numbers and breakdowns for 2021 are expected in the coming months.

Last week, for example, the agency released its final state-by-state estimates for 2020, showing life expectancy in the first year of the pandemic has declined in every state and the District of Columbia.

The report says federal health officials are bracing for another potentially deadly wave of infections this winter.

Since mid-April, the U.S. has recorded an average of 300 to 400 COVID-19 deaths daily, almost double the lowest level seen in June and July 2021, according to the CDC.

However, the rate of new deaths from COVID-19 so far remains only part of the autumn-winter wave of last year.

Modelers say the early rollout of new COVID-19 booster shots could prevent thousands of COVID-19 deaths in the coming months, although even the most optimistic scenario could result in an estimated 111 more deaths across the country.

“Even now, we still have about 400 deaths a day,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a meeting of her advisers earlier this month. “And I don’t feel like that’s a number we can stop at.”

“I think we really need to continue to acknowledge that this is too many deaths and we should not be calm,” Walensky added.

Where can you live longer?

If you want to live longer, move to one of these 10 US states whose residents can expect the longest lives, reports CNBC.

Hawaii tops the list of 10 states with the highest life expectancy. Aside from beautiful beaches and gorgeous sunsets, Hawaiians may have a bigger advantage over the rest of America: They can live longer.

Compared to the rest of the U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Hawaii had the highest life expectancy at birth, according to updated U.S. state death tables compiled by the CDC.

The average life expectancy for Hawaiians as of 2020 was 80,7 years.

Aloha State was the only place in America to reach the 80-year milestone in 2020. The average age of residents of the remaining states of the top ten ranged from 78 to 79 years.

Overall, the average life expectancy in the United States at birth in 2020 was 77 years.

10 US states with the highest life expectancy:

• Hawaii: 80,7.
• Washington: 79,2.
• Minnesota: 79,1.
• California: 79.
• Massachusetts: 79.
• New Hampshire: 79.
• Vermont: 78,8.
• Oregon: 78,8.
• Utah: 78,6.
• Connecticut: 78,4.

States with the shortest life expectancy in 2020 included West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Kentucky.

In 2020, Mississippi had the shortest life expectancy of any state, with an average of 71,9 years.

However, the 2020 U.S. state death tables showed that updated life expectancy has declined since 2019 for all 50 states, with Hawaii D.C. seeing a decline of just 0,2 years.

But in just one year, the average life expectancy in New York has fallen by 3 years.

In addition, life expectancy at birth was higher for women in all states, and the District of Columbia. Women were expected to live 2020 years longer than men in 5,7, with an average life expectancy of 79,9 years compared to men at 74,2.

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In some places the difference was even more stark.

In the District of Columbia, women had to live 7 years longer than men. And the difference between the life expectancy of women and men in states such as Mississippi, New Mexico and Louisiana was more than 6 years.

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